Ensigns Bradley and Davis from Security were on duty in Cargo Bay Five, guarding the containers that came aboard with Special Emissary R'Dalla. They had been talking for some time about mostly nonsensical topics, to pass the time until they were relieved by the next shift so they could do something more interesting.
"So, no I don't think that is really possible," Ensign Bradley was saying. "The phaser beam would be too weak at that range to punch a hole in the wall. Best thing you could hope for would be to stun some of the guards."
Ensign Davis, a young Caucasian male, nodded and shrugged his shoulders as the doors to the Cargo Bay opened and Lt. Ivanovna came to check on them.
Ensign Bradley, who had fought by Ivanovna's side against the reptiles on board the Larson some weeks back, smiled as the Lt. entered. "Nothing to report, I'm afraid. Everything's quiet," Bradley said.
The security chief nodded. "Very well," she said in a monotone voice, and then proceeded to stroll about the area where the cargo containers were kept.
Bradley and Davis looked at each other. "Something we can help you with, Lt.?" Bradley offered.
Lt. Ivanovna looked over at the pair of bewildered Ensigns as she pulled a tricorder from her belt. "No, nothing," she answered, hesitating. "Were these containers scanned upon arrival? Were they opened?"
"Not as far as we know, Lt.," Bradley answered. "They weren't to be touched. That's what the Captain ordered."
Lt. Ivanovna nodded and began to scan the containers. "Uh, Lt., should you be doing that?" Davis asked hesitantly.
She gave him a piercing stare, closing the tricorder momentarily. "Why shouldn't I, Ensign?"
"Well, the captain said that the containers weren't to be opened or disturbed," Davis replied nervously.
"Yeah, and the Special Emissary made the same request. Well, I don't think a scanning beam is disturbing, do you? Besides, this business about having things on board we know nothing about is ludicrous," Lt. Ivanovna said, her thick Russian accent making her commentary sound abrupt and harsh. Sensing the discomfort of the Ensigns, she sighed. "Normally I'd agree with you Ensign," she said to Ensign Davis, "but I've a strange feeling about this. I have to check it out. I owe it to the ship and the captain, even if I am bending the rules a little."
Ensigns Bradley and Davis nodded, and Lt. Ivanovna got back to scanning the containers. At the second container, the Lt. paused and punched a couple buttons on her tricorder. She then frowned and rescanned the container.
"What's wrong?" Bradley asked, noting the security chief's expression.
"I'm not sure," Lt. Ivanovna responded as she punched another button on her tricorder. The two Ensigns walked over as she continued to stare at her scanning instrument.
"Those look like life signs!" Davis exclaimed with alarm. "They're distorted, but definitely life!"
Lt. Ivanovna started to agree with Davis, when suddenly the heavy metal lid of the container in question flew off and caught Bradley on the right side of her head. She landed clumsily, the lid partially on top of her. Ensign Davis and Lt. Ivanovna both reached for their phasers as nearly simultaneous shots from what was inside the container stunned them both and sent them flying backwards. The security chief's last thought as she drifted into unconsciousness was one of amazement, 'What was a Klingon doing in that box?'
Meanwhile, Captain Freeman and Commander Yilaan were in the captain's Ready Room, located just off the Bridge, going over some reports and crew evaluations.
"So what does Jevor think about Rodriguez?" Freeman asked his first officer.
"Maria or Pedro?" Yilaan said, smiling that the captain forgot there were two Rodriguez in the Engineering department.
"Uh, Pedro. Sorry Cecilia," the captain replied. At that moment, the intercom beeped. "This is the captain," Captain Freeman said.
A male with a sharp, guttural voice responded, "Captain, I offer my apologies. You have injuries in your cargo room."
The captain and Commander Yilaan looked at each other. "Have you notified Sickbay?" Yilaan asked.
"Who is this woman? You're not the captain!" the voice shot back. "No, I hadn't actually thought about that. I figured you could take care of it anyway."
"Who the hell are you?" the captain asked.
There was a brief silence. "I'd rather discuss that in person," the voice came back.
Captain Freeman deactivated communications with the unknown voice and tapped his comm-badge, "Captain to Security!"
"Security here, Captain. This is Lt. Sims," a male responded.
"Where is Lt. Ivanovna?"
"Unknown sir," Sims responded.
"Send a team to the cargo bay with the containers of the Emissary's in it. We have a problem," the captain ordered, as he and Yilaan stood up. He tapped his comm-badge again, "Sickbay, send a team to Cargo Bay Five; wait for Security to arrive."
Both departments acknowledged as Freeman and Yilaan strolled quickly out of the Ready Room and on to the Bridge. "Reiv, signal General Quarters, condition two. Alert the Emissary that there may be trouble with her containers, and get Ivanovna down there immediately," the captain ordered Lt. Reiv.
Reiv said, "Aye sir," as the captain and first officer left the Bridge and headed for the cargo bay.
The captain and first officer arrived at the cargo bay and nodded to the medical and security teams. "Open it," the captain ordered, referring to the bay doors.
Lt. Sims nodded, positioned his team, and punched a couple buttons on a nearby control panel, opening the door. The security team rushed in, and Sims shouted, "You! Drop your weapons! Get down on the floor!" A couple of things clattered on the floor, and then Sims called out, "It's secure sir!"
The captain, first officer, and the medical team rushed in to the bay. The team, seeing Bradley was the worst off, began to attend to her immediately. The security team had an enormous Klingon in custody.
The captain stood and stared at the Klingon for a moment, while Yilaan stood off to his right, and one of the medics helped Ensign Davis and Lt. Ivanovna off the floor. "They're just stunned sir," the Lt. jg. from Sickbay said to the captain, who nodded in response. The rest of the medical team put Ensign Bradley on a stretcher and were carting her off.
As the medical team and the injured officers departed, the captain finally spoke. "You're the individual who signaled me?" the captain asked the Klingon.
The Klingon male before him nodded, "Yes, and I was the one who injured your people. I'm sorry. I thought I'd been captured."
"Take him to the Brig," the captain said to Lt. Sims.
Sims grabbed the Klingon's arm and started to escort him out. "But Captain, I need to speak with you. There are things you need to know," the Klingon said.
"One thing I do know is that stowaways aren't welcomed with open arms aboard this ship. Get him out of here, Sims," the captain replied.
They left, leaving the captain and Yilaan alone in the cargo bay. The captain went over to look in the open container, and discovered it to be empty. He frowned and said to Yilaan, "I think I need to have a talk with our secretive Emissary. Care to come along?"
She smiled, "I wouldn't miss this for anything." Both officers left the cargo bay.
Ten minutes later, Yilaan found herself sitting in the observation lounge listening to her captain yell at the expressionless Special Emissary.
"You can't possibly tell me that the stowaway was approved by the Federation. How did he get on board? How, for that matter, did he get in your box? If all that stuff was so damned precious, how could he have possibly gotten in there? This is why things must be approved by the captain before they're allowed on Starfleet vessels. If he hadn't decided to turn himself in, he might've had the run of the ship for hours, massacring my crew as he saw fit," the captain shouted.
"Captain, please. Your emotionalism is hardly necessary and quite distasteful," the Vulcan Emissary replied.
"Hardly necessary?" the captain shouted incredulously. "Where have you been? Haven't you heard a word I've said?" The captain slammed his open palms on the table, "You can be damned sure that a full report of this will be sent to Starfleet Command." He stood up and continued, smiling, "Oh, and I'll be having those other containers thoroughly examined by a security team whether you like it or not."
"Before you embarrass yourself any further Captain, you might care to know that the Klingon was approved by the Federation. He is a dissident that we are helping to flee the Klingon Empire," Special Emissary R'Dalla said.
The captain stopped where he was, as he was heading for the door of the lounge. He turned and took a couple steps back towards the table where R'Dalla was still sitting, his eyes wide. "What?! That is in direct violation of the Klingon/Federation peace treaties of over twenty years ago! Are you mad?"
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